Turtle tray and hood (a natural habitat)

ABSTRACT

An enclosure for placement upon a conventional aquarium tank such as is used in a home for tropical and other fish, the enclosure comprising a tray upon which turtles may climb from the aquarium water, and a hood that is placeable over the tray so to present the turtles to escape, the hood accordingly including sliding access doors on a front side for servicing the tray area, the front and sides of the hood having viewing windows, and a top of the hood having lamps directing light rays downwardly on the tray and aquarium tank.

TURTLE TRAY AND I-IOOD (A NATURAL HABITAT) This invention relatesgenerally to home aquarium accessories.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide equipment forplacement upon a conventional home fish aquarium so that the aquarium issuitable for containing turtles as well as fish.

Another object of the present invention is to provide equipment placableupon a conventional home fish tank and which forms a natural habitat forturtles. Yet another object of the present invention is to provideequipment which consists of a tray and hood that are placable upon theaquarium for association therewith and which can be quickly and easilyremoved therefrom whenever so desired or to service the fish tank.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a turtle tray andhood which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged inconstruction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawing whereinz FIG. 1 isa perspective exploded view of the componene of the present inventionshown in relative position for placement upon a fish aquarium.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the tray taken on line 2-2 of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and showingthe tray and hood mounted on the fish aquarium.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the turtle tray.

FIG. 5 is a detail view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3 and illustratingaccess opening means for a filter, heater. or the like.

FIG. 6is a bottom view of the hood.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view on line 7 -7 of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the hood adapter. FIG. 9 is a cross sectionalview on line 99 of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view on line l0--l0 of FIG. 8. 1

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 10represents an assembly of equipment for producing a natural habitat forturtles, the equipment consisting of a tray 11, an adapter 11a and ahood 12. As is indicated by arrows 13 and 14, in FIG. 1, the tray andhood are placable upon an upper edge 15 of a conventional aquarium 16such as is used in a home for keeping tropical and other fish. V

The turtle tray 11 comprises a singular unit that accordingly forpratical purposes is perferably made from molded rigid plastic materialand which at one end thereof has an inclined approach ramp 17 up whichturtles may climb out of the water in the aquarium 16. Therefore asshown in FIG. 2, the lower end of the ramp 17 extends below a waterlevel 18 of thefish aquarium so that the turtles can swim upon the lowerend of the ramp. A series of horizontal extending cleets or ribs 19across the upper surface of the ramp provide traction means for theturtles to climb up the ramp. Adjacent the ramp 17 there is a centralarea on the tray which consists of a depression 20 within which a fewrocks and a mixture of sand and gravel can be placed so that turtles mayclimb thereupon. The depression 20 accordingly includes a flat bottomwall 21 and upstanding side and end walls 22. At the opposite end of thetray 11 there is a depression 23 in which a mixture of moist sand andmud may be placed for use of the turtle. The depression 23 includeshorizontal bottom wall 24 adjacent an inclined bottom wall 25, andvertically upstanding side and end walls 26;

A sideward extending flange 27 is provided on opposite side edges and asidewardly extending flange 28 on one of the end edges thereof, theflanges providing a means for resting the tray upon edge 15 of theaquarium 16 and also for supporting there upon the hood 12. Theunderside of the flanges 27 accordingly include a lower groove 29 intowhich the upper edge of the aquarium fits. Likewise the flange 28 on itsunderside has an upper groove 30 for the same purpose.

The hood 12 comprises a box like enclosure member which upon its frontand rear sides is fitted with viewing windows 31 for observationof theturtles when upon the tray. A rear side of the hood is provided withsliding doors 32 which are each fitted with screens 33. The top wall 34of the hood has a central frame screen 35 for allowing circulation ofair through the device. Additionally a pair of lamp units.36 are fittedthere upon for directing light rays downwardly toward the tray andaquarium. Lipped edges 34a around openings in the top wall 34 serve tosecure the screen and lamps so that they do not easily fall out. Thebottom of the hood accordingly is left open, and the end edges 37 of thehood fits in a groove 38 and 38a formed on the ends of the tray and theadapter. The lower edges of the sliding doors 32 each fit within one ofthe grooves or channels 39 and 39a on one side of the tray and adapterwhereas the lower opposite side edge of the hood front wall is receivedin the outer grooves 39 and 39a of the tray and adapter, as is shown inFIG. 3. It is to be noted that the hood is of size so as to completelycover the top of the aquarium whereas the turtle tray is of shorterlength than the aquarium so that the turtles have access to the approachramp. Thus the tray is positioned toward one end of the aquarium whilethe adapter is at the other end or more openings 40 maybe providedthrough the sides of the hood, as shown in FIG. 5 so to provide accessfor filter, heater or other equipment in use with the tank.

The tray and hood maybe manufactured in various different sizes so thatthe same can be utilized with different sizes of fish aquariums.

Thus the present invention provides a natural habitat for turtles thatcan use the water of a fish aquarium. Thus the turtle has access toclean filtered water which is enough for proper swimming exercise. Livenatural food can be introduced to the tank such as bait minnows so topermit use of preditory instincts and dietary need to be satisfied. Thelamps provide light rays for drying out the shells of the turtles, andthus prevent the ailment of soft shell. Thus the turtles can growhealthy and live longer.

What I now claim is:

1. In an assembly for placement upon a conventional fish aquarium, thecombination of a means whereby turtles are provided with a naturalhabitat and which can utilize the water of said fish tank for swimming,said natural habitat including an area where they can dry out andreceive sufficient heat from lamps so to prevent getting a soft shell,said assembly being comprised of a tray and adapter which are placeableupon vertical, screened sliding side doors, vertical observation sideglass windows, and lamps for directing light rays downwardly, said doorsbeing slidably retained between grooves on an upper side of said trayand adapter, and grooves on an underside of said hood, and at least onesaid lamp being directly over said tray where said turtles dry out.

1. In an assembly for placement upon a conventional fish aquarium, thecombination of a means whereby turtles are provided with a naturalhabitat and which can utilize the water of said fish tank for swimming,said natural habitat including an area where they can dry out andreceive sufficient heat from lamps so to prevent getting a soft shell,said assembly being comprised of a tray and adapter which are placeableupon an upper edge of said fish aquarium, and a hood placeable upon saidtray and adapter, said tray comprising a unitary member made preferablyof molded rigid plastic and including a ramp at one end, a centraldepression for containing rocks and a mixture of sand and gravel, andanother depression for containing moist sand and mud, said depressionfor sand and mud being spaced away from said ramp by means of saidcentral deprEssion being therebetween, said hood including vertical,screened sliding side doors, vertical observation side glass windows,and lamps for directing light rays downwardly, said doors being slidablyretained between grooves on an upper side of said tray and adapter, andgrooves on an underside of said hood, and at least one said lamp beingdirectly over said tray where said turtles dry out.